Canon City News

Caterina Antioco: Troubled by letters

Posted:
08/29/2013 08:43:00 AM MDT

I am troubled by some of the letters to the editor concerning the Humane Society of Fremont County. One letter suggested one can't fight the press and that people believe lies due to the paper printing them.

Reputable papers, such as the Daily Record, usually do not intentionally print lies. If one carefully reads the past Record articles about the HSFC, they are documented from governmental reports. It is also noted that the former HSFC employee and volunteers produced photos and documentation. We'd all be reading a correction or retraction if the reporting was unintentionally incorrect — or hearing about a libel or defamation of character lawsuit if the reporting was intentionally incorrect.

Attacking the Record is not the solution. Attacking people who have reported concerns with alleged non-humane shelter practices is not the solution. Attacking the people who allegedly have committed less-than-humane treatment is not the solution.

I'm surprised any board member (or anyone currently officially associated with HSFC) would, in letters to the editor or in quotes in news articles, or on social media, go against people raising concerns — folks who apparently have already been vindicated, in part, by the USDA finding issues. Most people are aware enough not to believe "lies" and will be able to figure out what happened as more documented facts come to light. So far, it's been suggested that a former HSFC paid employee and former volunteers have lied, are vindictive, disgruntled and leveled allegations due to not getting their own way.

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Cañon City's mayor offered a logical response when he stated in the Record that these people don't appear to be disgruntled — but even if they were, the fact is, the USDA found some issues.

Let the USDA, DORA and the media do its jobs, so we can act to protect the animals entrusted to the HSFC, even if that includes a change in leadership at HSFC.

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